Question re: Heathrow airport

customs is different than immigration.

Hi, emmye,

A lot depends on the terminals. If you're flying British Air from IAD to LHR, and from LHR to Inverness, you should be okay. All connections take place in Terminal 5.

A lot also depends on how long it takes for Immigration. You'll go through Immigration at LHR. Be sure to pack all carry on liquids and cosmetics in the required clear plastic bags. They are really picky about this. You should have only one clear plastic bag each.

Two hours should be enough, if you arrive and depart from the same terminal. Most of the domestic flights depart from the lower concourse. Immigration is in the upper concourse. The staff at LHR will be able to direct you.

Customs will be in Inverness. Once you've collected your luggage, just walk through the "Nothing to Declare" exit.

Finally, in answer to your first question, yes BA would offer a flight option that wasn't feasible. On our last visit to Scotland, BA offered a one hour layover and a 2 1/2 hour layover enroute to GLA. We were really glad that we went with the longer layover.

If your flight leaves out of IAD on time, you should be okay. At the worst, BA will put you on the next available flight to Inverness.

Best wishes, and don't panic!

Mike (Auchterless)

I have made connections through Heathrow multiple times and would feel completely comfortable with this connection time. Could something happen to cause you to miss a flight connection? Sure, but it is unlikely to do so.

You will follow the signs to flight connections. E gates make passport control very quick and efficient. If you have your liquid’s organized in a bag, ready to pull out along with your electronics, security goes smoothly. It is where a bottle neck can occur if you haven’t prepared in advance.

Don’t let people make you worry about this!!!!

stan- yes, I know they are different. I mistyped, as I often do since entering my 40s ;)

Hi Mike!

Yes, we're flying British Airways from IAD to LHR to INV. I did go online and see that we should fly into and out of Terminal 5, so hopefully the gates aren't too far apart. It's disappointing that BA would offer flight options that aren't feasible. Seems to me that they're causing more of a headache for themselves! Ah well.

I'll likely have my liquids packed, but will be sure to bag any that are in my carry on. Fingers crossed that Immigration is painless.

Thank you, Carol!!!

I've done this and you're getting some crossed information.

If this is on one ticket, don't worry. Should you miss the connection, BA will put you on the next available flight.

Go to this website and you'll get step by step directions:

http://www.heathrow.com/flight-connections

In a nutshell, don't follow the crowd to passport control. Follow the purple Flight Connections signs. At one point they will split and you go to the one for the UK and Ireland. This is passport control for UK connections. It shouldn't take long. From there you go through security again. Heathrow is strict so make sure you know what you have to do. After security, you are in the main terminal area and go to your gate. Give yourself time as there are two satellite buildings that are connected by tram. But most domestic fights leave from the main terminal. (You probably arrived at satellite B or C.)

If you have checked luggage, it should automatically be transferred to your connecting flight without you having to deal with it. Just make sure that when you check in at IAD the baggage tag says INV.

Fortunately the BA flight from Dulles pulls right up to a gate rather than a stand like the BA flight from BWI. That eliminates having to wait for a bus to take you to the terminal. From the time you get off the plane it should take about an hour to get back to the waiting area. You’ll arrive and depart from terminal 5.

After deplaning, follow the purple arrows/markings for connecting flights. You’ll come to a stop where the connections splits; one for flights staying in the UK and one for connecting flight outside of the UK. They are literally next to each other. At that point you go through immigration. It will be a person not an eGate. When we passed through in September there was no line. After passing you’ll walk some more until you get to security. After security you go downstairs and wait for your departure gate to show up on the board (1 hour prior to departure).

2 hours is borderline, but you have already booked it so relax and hope for the best. My wife and I had 1 hour 50 minutes for a Heathrow connection in Oct 2022 and we did not make it. We were on a BA flight from Milan, changing in Heathrow for Philadelphia. Our flight from Milan was on time, we may have been 5 minutes late waiting for a gate to be available. When we got inside, the line for passport control and security was unbelievably long. After a while they called anyone with a flight before 2pm to move out of the line and jump ahead, which we did. That got our passport checked quickly, but then back in a long line for security. When we finally got to security, most of the staff were in no hurry at all and several were very arrogant and actually flaunting their power to decide how and when people would come through their line. We have been through lots of security lines at lots of different airports but this was by far the worst managed operation we have seen. Once we cleared security, we literally ran to the gate, which was a long way off, and when we got there we saw the plane had just been pushed away from the gate. We ended up going to Atlanta and then a late Delta flight got us back to Philly about 7 hours later than planned.

After that experience we have decided to 1) Avoid connections at Heathrow if at all possible and 2) if we have to connect there to allow at least 3 hours. I hope your experience there is better than ours was.

The good news, our checked bags made the connection fine and arrived in Philly on time
Gary

Security can be a big bottleneck. I can’t stress enough having everything prepared in advance to come out of your carryon and check that your water bottle is empty.

When we finally got to security, most of the staff were in no hurry at all and several were very arrogant and actually flaunting their power to decide how and when people would come through their line. We have been through lots of security lines at lots of different airports but this was by far the worst managed operation we have seen.

We had a similar experience in August 2022. I travel with medication in a medical cooler and Heathrow was the only airport where I had problems. At every other airport I just told the staff what my cooler was and then they put it through the X-ray machine separately. At Heathrow when I tried to tell to the person before the X-ray machine she got really aggressive and told me not to talk to her. Prior to this staff had been shouting at the line and threatening to detain people for 45 minutes if they failed to get things out of their bags that had to be screened separately - but there was nothing to say what needed to be put in the tray separately eg. electronics, belts etc.

My medical cooler must have triggered an alert of some kind - not surprising as it is a metal cylinder with a small motor in it full of syringes - and the whole line was delayed while they screened and re-screened my cooler. Finally, I got called aside while they summoned a supervisor. I was not allowed to touch the cooler while all this was happening. The supervisor then asked for my prescriptions and doctor's letter and then asked me to open the cooler and show him my arthritis syringes. He then said "you should tell us when you travel with medication", my response "I tried to". All up I delayed a line of people for close to 10 minutes, all because of the arrogance and aggression of the security staff.

Fortunately, we had a three hour layover and still made our flight. If I hadn't been an obviously Caucasian, native English speaker who knows what would have happened.

Thanks for all the advice and sharing of experiences.

AussieNomad- that's terrible. I'm so sorry. I've encountered some really kind and patient folks working security, as well as some downright nasty ones.

I'll remain cautiously optimistic that it'll all work out. And if we have to miss a connecting flight, please let it be the one going home!

If you don't look around and keep moving. you can make it. I've had 2 hour layovers and while stressful I've always managed to get to the gate on time. at LHR. on BA. You have to hustle but it can be done.

Question for garyd......you were on a flight from Milan-London-Philadelphia. Why did you go through passport control in London? If you were just transferring you should have just had to go through security.

I've gone through security dozens of time at Heathrow and never had anyone rude. Efficient and trying to keep the line moving but not rude. Even when pulled aside as I usually seem to be they weren't rude.

Sorry, Frank II, I beg to differ. Last three times through Heathrow, upon arrival from the U.S., we have encountered rude, officious security personnel. Mrs. A has been subjected to verbal abuse and extreme baggage searches. However, we have seen other flyers being treated callously as well.

We are rather non nondescript appearing Caucasians. As AussieNomad noted, if we had been people of colour, I am sure that security would have been even more invasive.

I am glad to hear that your journeys through LHR have been uneventful. I hope that your experiences have been the norm and not the exception.

Best wishes for your future travels!

Mike (Auchterless)

Just as another data point, I’ve gone through security at Heathrow 6 times this year. I have always been treated politely. I prepare in advance so that I am ready and I am courteous to the workers.

I have watched many people who just don’t seem to have much idea about what they are doing hold up the line and have to be told the directions several times. I suppose that if a worker has to deal with that over and over it might get old. I ‘m pretty sure I couldn’t do that job. Not an excuse for rude behavior. They need to be professional. However, I am a bit understanding of their circumstances.

I have a system going through any airport security except for TSA where I have precheck.

I have all my toiletries and electronics ready to unload. I put them in the same way in the bins where it is efficient and the x-ray operator can see everything. The gents barking orders at people don't at me. In fact, the last time, earlier this month, the security person watching just nodded his head.

For some reason, they usually find something they want to double check but that is quick as they pinpoint exactly what it is. This last time, I had extra stuff and thought I would definitely get stopped but I wasn't.

It could also be that I am usually in the Fast Track lane but I don't know if that makes a difference.

Tips for Heathrow and much of the UK:

1) Toiletries must be in regular zip loc bags. The airport has them for free. (Nice ones, too, with a handle.) You can then put that zip bag in a different 3-1-1 case but it must be in the zip loc.

2) All electronics must come out that are larger than an ereader. Lay them flat. Not on top of each other.

3) Belts off but shoes can stay on--unless they are thick or heavy boots.

4) Make sure everything is out of your pockets.

5) Bags in separate bins. Carry-on in one. Personal Item, jacket and belt in another. They seem to like a third bin for electronics and toiletries.

By doing the above, I never get hassled. I may get pulled aside because they see something they don't like, but never rude. Some of the items they've dinged were a travel size roll of duct tape, solid deodorant, 0.5 oz bottle of hand sanitizer (in the 3-1-1 bag) and a shaving stick.

I hope this helps some of you.

I don't believe anyone has mentioned a UK rule that caused me a problem (though the Heathrow staff were very courteous about my goof back in 2017). The UK airports have no special allowance for medically-necessary liquids, creams, etc. They must all fit in the same 3-1-1 bag as your toiletries. It seems there is a special dispensation for things like insulin, but it doesn't apply to a prescription ointment, nasal spray or the like.

Frank II, I can't explain why they checked passports. I thought we were just in a security line. Then when they called for people whose flight was before 2pm to come out of the main line, they had people checking passports. It was just a quick check, I don't recall them scanning them into any system since it was not at a normal booth.